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R. H. fOfiD, C. P. RICHARDSON, A. L GREENABAUM AND H. M. PRIEST.

REINFORCED CGNCBETE CRJBBING.

APPLICATlON mu: ms. 24. 1919 I Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

1 Ult ROBERT H. FORD, CHARLES P. RICHARDSON, AND ALEXANDER L. G

ENABAUM. OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND HENRY M. PRIEST, OF DAYTON, O

REINFORCED-CONCRETE CRIBBING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

Application filed February 24, 1919. Serial No. 278,810.

To allwhom it ma concern:

Be it known t at we, Ronnn'r H. Folio, (hmnLi-zs l. RIGIIARDHUN, 'Annxannnn L. (lnncxanmnu, and Ilnxnr M. liuns'r, citizens of the United States, and residents of Chicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois. and of Dayton, inthe county of Montgomdry and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin lieinforced{loin-rote (,lribbing, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of our specification.

Our invention re ales to an improvement in reinforced concrete cribbiu or retaining wall more especially adapted for supporting embankments or fills where the foundation material or other conditions make the 0011 strliction of the ordinary retaining wall impracticable; the invention having for its ob- J0('l the provision of an economical construction composed of standardized units of such formation that the adapt-ability of the cribhing to varying conditions is enhanced; the invention at the same time contemplating units of such formation as will greatly ,simplify and reduce the cost of construction of a retaining wall or cribbing; wherein the necessityof cementing or otherwise joining the units is eliminated; while on the other hand a yielding structure isprovided which will adjust itself without mpture or injury.

The above enumerated objects and advantages, as well as others inherent in the construction, will be more readily comprehended from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings, where- 1111- Figure 1 is a perspective view, in elevation, of a structure or cribbing composed of our improved units, with portions broken awa Fig. 2 is a plan view of our improved header.

Fig. 3 illustrates the same in elevation.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of our improved stretcher.

Fig. 5 illustrates the same in elevation; while Fig. 6 illustrates in elevation a short stretcher.

In the particular exem plification of the invention. as illustrated in Fig. 1, the cribbin is composed of a plurality of headers ant stretchers disposed in vertical rows; with each row composed of a plurality of courses of headers and stretchers.

Our improved headers, illustrated at 10, consist of properly reinforced concrete molded into a predetermined length and preferably substantially rectangular in crosssect ion at points intermediate of the ends of the headers; while both ends of the headers are provided with similar heads 11, 11, T- shape in crosssection. The heads or ends 11 are also preferably ol' greater vertical dimensions than the vertidiil dimensions of the main or body portion of the header, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and .3; that is in say the ends or heads 11 are formed flush with what may be termed the upper surface of the headers, so that the vertical enlarge-- ments are arranged to extend beyond or depend from the lower surface of the main portion, as clearly shown in the drawing. The depending extensions of the ends or heads ll are each provided with a reinforcing portion or lobe 12 preferably of width corresponding with the width of the main or body portion of the header. The headers .10 are adapted to extend from front to rear of the cribbing, that i; in a direction transversely of the cribbing. as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and arranged in vertical rows with the lower extended portions of the ends or head-s 11 in contact with the subjacent stretchers.

The stretcher-s shown at 13 are also composed of reinforced concrete of predeter= mined length and dimensions, with the main portion thereof rectangular in cross-section at points intermediate of the ends; while the ends themselves are kerfed as shown at 14 in Figs. 4 and 5; the'kerfs being located on the smile longitudinal side of the stretcher to adapt said kerfs to receive the laterall extended portions or heads 11 of the hen ers 10 and permit the ends of the he: ers' ,to come flush with the outer longitudinal sides of the stretchers 13, as shown in Fig; 1. The ends of the stretchers 13 are onlarged by providing the downwardly disposed lobes or extensions 15, which are of vertical dimensions substantially similar to the vertical dimensions, of the depending portions or lobes 12, 12 of the headers 10, thereby permitting the upper surfaces of the headers and stretchers to be flush with each other and therefore be disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane. The

lobes or extensions 15 formed at both ends of the stretchers 13 are intended to contact with the upper surface of the subjacent stretchers or units, as shown in Fig. 1, and thus provide a suitable support and bearing at the ends of said stretchers which are thereby maintained in spaced relation with each other throughout their lengths in a manner similar to the headers 10 so as to provide an interstitial cribbing or retaining element, as shown in Fig. 1. At a point intermediate of the ends, each stretcher 13 is preferably provided with a depending lug or lobe, as at 16, formed integral with the body portion and of vertical dimension equal to the vertical dimensions of the eittensions or lobes 15 in order that the stretchers may have sup ort at points intermediate of their ends y reason of the contact of said intermediate lobes or lugs 16 with the upper surface of the subjacent stretchers and headers. With our improved stretchers having a central support, namely at a point intemnediate of the ends, enables the units to be laid in courses so as to pro vide a cribbing with broken or staggered joints, with the result that a more stable structure is provided.

As is evident from the construction shown and described, and as is well understood-,by those familiar with the art, the various courses are laid by arranging the headers 10 in directions substantially transverse to the embankment or fill to be sustained by the cribbing; while the streti-hers 13 are disposed in a direction substantially parallel with the embankment; and the superposed courses are so laid that the joints between the headers and stretchers of different courses are referably made to alternate or come in diiierent vertical rows, as more clearly shown in Fig. 1 at the points 17 wherein each superposed row is so arranged that the intermediate lobe or extension 16 of a stretcher will be disposed on the ends or heads 11 of the subjacent header 10, thus causing the interlocking connection between the headers or stretcher-s of successive or superimposed courses to alternately occur in difi'erent vertical planes. This alternatin arrangement of the units, as before 'state(, is made possible by reason of the intermediate lobe 16 on each stretcher which may contact with the head of a subjacent header and thus provide continuous vertical columns throughoutthe length of the cribbing and enable a more flexible or yielding structure to be constructed.

As isreadily apparent from the construction shown and described, a firm interlocking relation between the respective headers and stretchers; throughout the entire length of 'the cribbing or retaining structure, against any lateral or outward pressure is provided; a cellular wall or structure being provided, wherein the cellular spaces, it will same time will obviate the necessity for providing a great number of elements or employing anchoring elements or cementing means, as has heretofore been necessary in constructing a retaining structure or cribhing.

\Vhere the different courses are arranged as before stated so as to provide broken or staggered joints, it will be understood that ragged or jutting ends would result. There fore, where it is intended to have the ends of the stretchers disposed in the same vertical plane or come flush at the ends of thecrib bing, so that the end elements will he flush with each other, a short stretcher 13, see Figs. 1 and 6, may be employed so as to pro vide a flush end construction as shown in F ig. 1. The short stretchcrs 18 are substantially similar to the strctchers 13, except that with the short members 18, which are intended mainly as extension members, it is not deemed necessary to provide them with the central or intermediate lobes or extensions 16; the ends of the short strctchcrs 18 being, however, provided with similar kerfs as the long stretchers 13 shown in Figs. 4: and 5.

The advantages of our invention are readily apparent from the construction shown wherein the headers and strctchers of the various courses throughout the cribbin will have firm interlocking relation wit one another, so that any lateral or sliding relation between the elements will be prevented.

We have shown and described what we believe to be the simplest and best adaptation of our invention, but changes may be made in details of. construction and general arrangement of parts without, however, departing from the spirit of our invention.

What we claim is:-

v 1. In a concrete cribbing having longitudinally disposed stretchers and transversely arranged headers, the headers. having extensions at both ends thereof disposed laterally beyond two parallel sides of the headers, said extensions also depending beyond the lower surfaces of the headers, while the stretchers are provided with kerfed ends,

with the kerfs arranged on the same longitudinal sides of the stretchers and of dimensions substantially similar to the dimensions of the laterally disposed extensions on the ends of the headers, whereby said kerfed ends of the stretchers are adapted to receive the lateral extensions of the headers and provide interlocking relation between the ends of the headers and stretchers.

2. In a concrete cribbinghaving longitudinally disposed stretchers and transversely arranged headers, the headers being provided with extensions at both ends disposed laterally beyond two parallel sides of the headers and with extensions depending beyond the lower sides of the'headers and at the ends thereof, while the stretehers are provided with kerfs at the ends thereof arranged on the same longitudinal sides and adapted to receive the laterally disposed ex tensions of the headers, the ends of the stretchers being also provided with extensions on the lower sides thereof of vertical length substantially equivalent to the vertical length of the depending extensions at the ends of the headers.

3. In a concrete cribbing composed of longitudinally disposed st'retchers and transversely arranged headers, with the headers having extensions at both ends disposed latorally beyond two opposite sides of the headers and depending beyond the lower surfaces of the headers. while the stretchers are provided with kerfs at the ends thereof arranged on the same longitudinal sides and formed 'to receive the laterally disposed extensions of the headers, the ends of the strctchers being prorlded with dependlng extensions on the lower sides thereof of the same vertical length as that of the depend: ing extensions at the ends of the headers, said stretchers being also provided with depending extensions intermediate of th ends thereof, of the same vertical length as said previously mentioned depending-extensions.

4. A concrete cribbing having longitudinal rows of stretehers and rows of headers arranged at right angles to the stretchers, the stretehers and headers being provided with enlargements whereby the superposed units are maintained in spaced relation, all of said enlargements being formed of substantially equal vertical dimensions, each longitudinal row of the cribbing being composed of a plurality of headers and stretchers arranged in intersecting; relation so that the enlargements of the headers in one horizontal row will be coincident with the enlargements of the'stretchers in adjacent horizontal rows, with the ends of the headers and stretchers being arranged in interlocking relation with one another.

ROBERT 1!. F031).

CHARLES P. RIGHABDSON. ALEXANDER L. GREENABAUI. HENRY H. PRIEST.

Witnesses:

A. E. Konsmm, J. Ensnmn, B. C. Boouron, R. H. BROWN. 

